CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy — Visiting the elderly in Castel Gandolfo, 25 kilometers (16 mi) southeast of Rome in the Italian region of Lazio, Pope Leo XIV has chosen “I will never forget you (Isaiah 49:15)” as the theme for the 6th World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly.

This was announced by the Vatican's Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life as it underscored the commemoration as an opportunity to bring the closeness of the Church to the elderly and to enhance their contribution within families and communities.

The World Day was instituted by the late Pope Francis in 2021, is celebrated every fourth Sunday of July and this year, the date coincides with the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, Sunday, July 26, with the Holy Father inviting the faithful to celebrate the Day with a Eucharistic liturgy in the cathedral church of each individual diocese.

Leo's adopted theme is taken from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, which is meant to be a message of consolation and hope for all grandparents and elderly people, especially those who live in loneliness or feel forgotten. At the same time, it is also considered as a reminder to families and ecclesial communities not to forget the elderly, recognizing in them a precious presence and a blessing.

The 70-year-old pontiff's choice highlights how God’s love for every person never fails, not even in the fragility of old age.

Accordingly, the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life encourages particular Churches, associations and ecclesial communities throughout the world to find ways to promote and celebrate the Day within their local contexts.

For this purpose, the Dicastery's prefect, Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, disclosed that specific pastoral resources will be made available to ensure the celebrations success.